The Vicar's Relief Fund
The Vicar's Relief Fund (VRF) is part of the St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas Charity Appeal and is funded solely by donations made in response to the BBC Radio 4 Appeal. The BBC has broadcast the St Martin's Christmas Appeal every year since 1927.
The VRF makes grants to 'those who are in need or suffering hardship'. Although it is hard to define a 'typical' grant, our aim is to help provide the recipient with ordinary necessities many people take for granted. We often respond to requests for items such as beds and bedding, clothing, domestic appliances, equipment for babies and toddlers, and arrears that have occurred through no fault of the client. Many of those we help have experienced homelessness, or are threatened with homelessness.
The amount of each grant varies according to need but is, on average, around £160, with an upper limit of £250 (which is made only in exceptional circumstances). Our hope is that the making of a small grant will have a positive impact and help alleviate distress or avert a crisis.
The VRF receives as many as 100 requests every week. Our first priority when allocating grants are those:
a) who are in danger of becoming homeless,
b) who are currently homeless, destitute and/or vulnerable, and
c) with experience of homelessness attempting to establish or maintain a tenancy.
Currently, the VRF receives so many requests for grants that, were we to make a grant to each request that met our criteria, the fund would be exhausted well before the end of the financial year. This would, of course, mean that we would not be able to respond to genuine priority requests for many months. We have a duty, therefore, to budget our grant making in order to meet needs throughout the year, although we recognise that by doing so, some requests that otherwise meet our criteria will have to be refused. Throughout the year, the VRF is able to make grants to nearly half the requests that we receive. Grants are allocated according to priority and as equitably as possible across the country.
Applications are accepted on behalf of people or families in need from:
· social workers
· support workers in housing associations, hostels, refuges, SureStarts and family centres
· key workers in rehabilitation centres
· CAB advisors
· probation officers
· CPNs, health visitors and other health professionals
· clergy, prison and hospital chaplains
· and staff in other voluntary organisations and caring agencies.
Please note we do not normally make grants to individuals applying on their own behalf; as a small charity with limited resources, we rely on professionals like the ones listed above to assess their client's needs and, where appropriate, make an application on behalf of their client/service user. We do not normally make more than one grant per person or family in any twelve-month period.
To request an application form, contact the VRF Administrator.
6 St Martin's Place
LONDON
WC2N 4JJ
phone : 020 7766 1127
fax : 020 7839 5163
e-mail: craig.norman@smitf.org
